Keratinic fibers are understood in principle to include all animal hair, for example, wool, horsehair, angora hair, furs, feathers and products or textiles produced therefrom. However, human hair comprises the keratinic fibers receiving the most attention in the context of cosmetic agents.
The use of polymers in a wide variety of cosmetic agents is widespread. They are used in agents for treating skin and in agents for treating hair, in agents that are washed off or out again immediately after use, so-called rinse-off products, as well as in agents which remain on the skin or hair, so-called leave-on agents. The polymers are used for a wide variety of reasons here, and certain properties of the polymers are utilized in each case. The thickening or care properties of the polymers are often of primary concern in agents for treating skin, in shampoos, hair rinses and hair treatments. In addition to these properties, especially film-forming effects and/or hair-setting effects are demanded in agents for temporary shaping of keratinic fibers, hereinafter also referred to as styling agents. Polymers frequently also serve as auxiliary means for improving the deposition and fixation of other active ingredients and ingredients on the skin or hair or making it possible at all. For example, by adding suitable polymers to hair coloring agents, the rubbing fastness and stability of the covering can be increased.
Cosmetic agents usually contain individual polymers tailored specifically to achieve a very specific effect. If various effects are to be achieved, it is necessary to add several polymers. However, if too many different polymers are used, this may entail a number of disadvantages. For example, problems may occur in formulation, e.g., because the polymers are reacting with one another or with other ingredients of the agent, resulting in precipitation or decomposition. Certain polymers also tend to be deposited on the skin and in particular on the hair, so that they are no longer completely removed in an ordinary washing and an unwanted accumulation of the polymer occurs and thus ultimately there is a burden on the hair or skin.
Therefore there is always a demand for polymers or suitable combinations of a few polymers which have as many of the desired properties as possible at the same time.
For example, in the case of styling agents it is necessary for the polymers to impart the strongest possible hold to the treated hair. In addition to a high degree of hold, however, styling agents must also fulfill a number of other requirements. These may be subdivided roughly into properties involving the hair, properties involving the respective formulation, for example, properties of the foam, the gel or the spray aerosol and properties affecting the handling of the styling agent, with special importance being attributed to the properties involving the hair. In particular the humidity resistance, low tackiness and a balanced conditioning effect may be mentioned. Furthermore, a styling agent should be universally usable for all types of hair if possible. If the styling agent is a gel or a paste, the polymers should also have thickening properties.
PCT Application Publication WO2008/052886 discloses that a combination of special zwitterionic polymers and film-forming and/or hair-setting amphoteric polymers has self-thickening properties, and that the film-forming and/or hair-setting properties of the individual polymers are increased. However, problems nevertheless occur in thickening in particular when providing thickened agents, i.e., highly viscous cosmetic agents using this polymer combination. In particular the stability of thickened cosmetic agents in storage and providing thickened and transparent agents with this polymer combination are areas that need improvement.
The object of the present invention was therefore to make available suitable polymer combinations that impart optimized properties to the cosmetic agents even without the addition of further active ingredients. In particular cosmetic agents are to be thickened with the aforementioned polymer combination in a manner so that they are stable in storage while at the same time having good film-forming properties and/or hair-setting properties. Styling agents containing these polymers should have a very high degree of hold without having to do without flexibility and good moisture resistance—in particular resistance to perspiration and water. Production of stable viscous and stable transparent cosmetic compositions using this polymer combination should be made possible in particular.